I found a thought provoking article "Climate Change Already Challenging Farmers, Utilities" in the Democrat and Chronicle, a Rochester, NY based newspaper. This article address the issue of global warming and its resultant negative effect on farmers, specifically noting a Clifton Springs, Ontario County, NY dairy farm. Essentially, this article states that while global warming is still not ironed out politically, it is evident that both agriculture and utility companies have had to deal with the consequences of a warming planet and the subsequent weather disruptions.
Apparently, there is a bill called the Farm Bill, which has failed to address the negative impact climate change has had on agriculture as it continues to provide sizable subsidies to large agribusiness while simultaneously neglecting to encourage adaptive measures such as sustainable farming. The article addresses a specific effect of climate change seen in a dairy farm in Clifton Springs, Ontario County, NY. As a result of this years drought, the pastures which ideally serve to provide plentiful nutrition for the cows ultimately dried up, forcing the dairy farm to discontinue the production of raw milk. In addition, crop insurance rates have increased as strong waves of heat and drought sweep in and continue to destroy crops. The article concludes with the following statement "Scientists and meteorologist overwhelmingly concur: Warmer weather and its effects are here to stay. Political debate distracts from the attention -- and responses -- these trends warrant."It is quite clear that climate change has had and will likely continue to have detrimental effects on farmers and farming communities as addressed by the article. This fact is strongly connected to the mental health of farmers. As the social and economic bases on which farming communities depend, erodes, the propensity for the manifestation of mental health problems is greatly increased. This article, and the most recent Rural Medicine lecture regarding the mental health of farmers prompted me to further research this topic. I found a great article in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health entitled "Climate Change and Farmers' Mental Health: Risks and Responses." While this article focuses on the effect of climate change on Australian farmers' mental health, the information appears to extend past the specific article subject. In essence the article proposes that increased socioeconomic disadvantages, reduced access to health services as seen when communities decline, combined with a stoical mentality characteristic of farmers, can ultimately increase the prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and legal substance misuse i.e. alcohol and tobacco.
In conclusion, utilizing information from the Australian farmer study, and the local Clifton Springs, Ontario County, NY devastation, I am lead the believe that the climate change in Clifton Springs may in fact effect the overall mental wellbeing of the farmers and those in the community. I look forward to continuing researching this topic in Ontario County, NY.
The emotional strain on farmers in our current economy is high and I think that is often what people focus on when they think of occupationally - related mental illness and farming. However, I think you make a good point that climate change can have just as negative an effect on the mental state of farmers. Imagine how devastating it can be to lose an entire crop, both financially and emotionally. I think it is imperative that physicians are aware of such occupational influences on their farmer patients.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in the comments you made about the Farm Bill. I don't know anything about this bill but from what I understand from you, it is not addressing the cause of the problem and is not implementing any kind of long term solution for farmers dealing with global warming. The climate change that we are all facing is certainly here to stay and it would be wise of our country to make efforts to adapt to it rather than just keep trying the same things over and over that were meant for a different climate than the one we are facing. It is discouraging to me that political stances and campaigns are getting in the way of helping some of our country's greatest and most important citizens. Politicians have so much power that could change the lives of so many people and yet, sadly, they seem to rarely put it to the best/most effective use.
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